Hola, hola,

I know, I just wrote you all a long story and some have probably not read it yet, but these last few days I heard some complains again from people who say that they are to busy to have free time. To whoever thinks that, I have a short story below about my own time management, which does acquire reliable contacts…

How to save time.

Honest is honest;

Appointment is appointment and

Time is time.

I grew up with these three Dutch phrases and always thought that these phrases were logic. When I first came to Latin America I found out that they have a different point of view and as their guest I just have to accept our differences.

However after a few years traveling and working in Latin America my opinion about our ‘cultural’ differences has slightly changed and unfortunately this doesn´t seem to be the only change. It surprises me how often I meet people from all over the world to whom ‘my’ logical phrases don´t seem to apply? Worse even, they sometimes think that I´m wrong? They think that I stress too much by using my watch and plan ahead.

The truth is that by planning ahead and using my watch I actually save time. Sometimes I feel sorry for colleague tour leaders who say that they have a very busy job and almost no free time left. They wonder how I don´t get tired of continuously guiding a tour of two months, while some of them get already tired after a tour of three weeks.

Because for me time is time and an appointment is an appointment, I manage to do my job, organize extra things, meet with contacts and friends (who also value an appointment) and still have time left. Time I sometimes need in emergencies or unexpected changes during the tour. And because I saved this time earlier during the tour even the emergency situations cause me little stress.

As if this is still not enough reason for being well organized, I even found out that I can regularly bring more rest in the busy tour schedules. I like to plan the excursions tight together, make it one full day instead of many ‘broken days’ all occupied with something. This way I can generate more free days within the tours. Days during which group members can choose to do their own things without any schedule. It is something I prefer myself and according to several group members it makes the tour more relaxed for them.

Maybe to some of you this information can be helpful as well?

Of course an essential base for being able to plan well, is to have reliable contacts. I have to admit that most of the contacts I now work with (unfortunately not all) are reliable and punctual, which is great. But what disturbs me is that it seems already well accepted when some-one isn´t reliable, punctual or honest and unfortunately I´m not only talking about some local agencies. Some tour leaders don´t mind overcharging for the tours they sell, while this often doesn´t include any extra work. Some agencies expect that every tour leader does this and even worse the group members might not believe you when you say that you ask them the real price.

If it seems this well accepted (expected) that tour leaders make extra money on the tours, they sell, I guess it is not on me to judge about this. Everybody should make his/her own decisions, but I hope that honesty is still worth something.